Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Iraqi parliament demands timeline for U.S. troop pullout
The U.S. military says the fate of its ongoing presence in Iraq will be decided in "coordination with" and will depend on the "approval of" the government in Baghdad. Published March 1, 2018
Joseph Votel says Russia fanning flames in Syria
Gen. Joseph Votel, who heads U.S. Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee that Moscow is trying to be both "arsonist and fireman" in Syria as part of an apparent strategy to extend its influence over the nation's future. Published February 27, 2018
U.S. sharpens focus on ISIS in Asia and Africa
U.S. officials expanded their targeting of the Islamic State beyond its Mideast stomping grounds Tuesday by adding three of the groups' far-flung affiliates -- in the Philippines, Bangladesh and West Africa -- to the State Department's "Specially Designated Global Terrorists" list. Published February 27, 2018
Seizing North Korea-bound cargo: Trump admin weighs coalition for interdictions
The White House is weighing a proposal to create a "coalition of the willing" among international navies to interdict ships suspected of violating U.N. sanctions on supplying North Korea, according to sources close to the Trump administration. Published February 26, 2018
Donald Trump cautious on North Korea offer to talk
The Trump administration responded cautiously Sunday to North Korea's offer of direct talks, saying dialogue could lead to a "brighter path" for Pyongyang but vowing to keep "maximum pressure" on the Kim Jong-un regime until it undeniably abandons its pursuit of nuclear weapons. Published February 25, 2018
Trump keeps door open for North Korea talks
The White House responded cautiously to North Korea's expression of interest in diplomatic talks with the U.S. Sunday, suggesting the Trump administration may be interested, but remains committed to "achieving the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." Published February 25, 2018
Israel, Iran head toward military clash over Syria
Iran and Israel are on a collision course over Tehran's expanding footprint in Syria, raising the odds of a direct clash between the region's two military heavyweights that could quickly draw in other combatants. Published February 21, 2018
Donald Trump aims to dramatically boost U.S. arms exports
The Trump administration is putting the final touches on a plan to dramatically increase American military hardware sales around the world, paving the way for faster and bigger deals with a range of countries from Eastern Europe to Southeast Asia that have faced limits and barriers to buying from U.S. defense firms. Published February 20, 2018
Recep Tayyip Erdogan turns Turkey away from U.S.
The Trump administration has gone to lengths to ease tensions with Turkey, but the effort hasn't quelled anti-American sentiment that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accused of stoking ahead of elections next year. Published February 18, 2018
Trey Gowdy praises Robert Mueller, says Russia investigation on right track
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee says the indictment of 13 Russian nationals and several companies for interfering in the 2016 election shows Special Counsel Robert Mueller is on the right track. Published February 18, 2018
James Mattis, Rex Tillerson tread carefully on U.S.-Turkey relations
Defense Secretary James Mattis says the there should be no question about the U.S. military alliance with Turkey or Ankara's commitment to NATO, despite despite deep disagreements over the way forward in Syria's war. Published February 18, 2018
Protesters call for Benjamin Netanyahu to resign over bribery claims
Israeli protesters called Friday for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign amid this week's allegations that he took bribes in the form of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cigars, champagne and jewelry. Published February 16, 2018
Iran devising apps for ‘mass surveillance’ of regime opponents: Report
Iran's intelligence services have "significantly accelerated" spying on their own citizens in the wake of anti-regime protests that rocked the nation, according to an extensive investigation released Thursday by a leading Iranian exile dissident group. Published February 15, 2018
Rex Tillerson’s trip to Turkey aimed at lowering tensions
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will attempt to lower the temperature on increasingly heated tensions between the United States and Turkey on Thursday, traveling to Ankara at a moment of clashing military strategies between the two NATO allies in neighboring Syria. Published February 14, 2018
Russia plans 2018 midterm elections interference, intelligence chiefs warn
Top U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday that Russia is laying the online groundwork to meddle in this year's midterm elections, and they warned that both Russia and China are barreling toward weapons designed to take out American satellites in space. Published February 13, 2018
Iran nuclear deal: Intel assessment claims nation is complying
The Obama-era Iranian nuclear deal has succeeded in delaying how long it would take for Iran to build a nuclear bomb and in making Tehran's activities more transparent to U.N. inspectors, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment published Tuesday that contrasts President Trump's threats to pull out of the deal unless its "disastrous flaws" are fixed. Published February 13, 2018
Intel chief: Russia expected to target U.S. midterms with hacking
U.S. intelligence assesses that Russia will continue targeting the American media and political spaces with cyber attacks and leaks aimed at creating "wedges that reduce trust and confidence in democratic process," Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said Tuesday. Published February 13, 2018
Rex Tillerson: ‘Too early’ to say if North Korea talks will happen
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says it's "too early to judge" whether a lasting diplomatic process between the Trump administration and the North Korean regime will grow from Pyongyang's current charm offensive toward South Korea around the Winter Olympics. Published February 12, 2018
U.S. airstrike on Syrian forces spurs fears of ‘mission creep’
A deadly U.S. airstrike on Syrian government-backed forces this week has increased fears that American forces sent to battle Islamic State are being dragged more and more into the country's bloody 7-year-old civil war. Published February 8, 2018
Rex Tillerson’s Venezuela threats get tepid reaction in Latin America
Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson spent much of his tour of Latin American capitals ratcheting up threats against Venezuela -- warning that Washington may move to shut off purchases of the socialist government's oil and even suggesting that the Trump administration would have no problem with a military coup in Caracas. Published February 7, 2018